Fiber optic cables are widely used to transmit light signals for high speed data transmission. The fiber optic cables each include an optical fiber or optical fibers. The optical fibers function to carry the light signals (i.e., optical signals). A typical optical fiber includes an inner core surrounded by a cladding that is covered by a coating.
Fiber optic cable connection systems are used to facilitate connecting and disconnecting the fiber optic cables in the field without requiring a splice. A typical fiber optic cable connection system for interconnecting two fiber optic cables includes fiber optic connectors (i.e., optical fiber connectors) mounted at ends of the fiber optic cables, and an adapter for mechanically and optically coupling the fiber optic connectors together. The fiber optic connectors generally include ferrules that support ends of the optical fibers of the fiber optic cables. End faces of the ferrules are typically polished and are often angled. The adapter includes co-axially aligned ports (i.e., receptacles) for receiving the fiber optic connectors desired to be interconnected. The adapter may include an internal sleeve that receives and aligns the ferrules of the fiber optic connectors when the connectors are inserted within the ports of the adapter. With the ferrules and their associated fibers aligned and abutted within the sleeve of the adapter, a fiber optic signal can pass from one fiber to the next corresponding fiber via an optical interface created by this arrangement. The adapter also typically has a mechanical fastening arrangement (e.g., a snap-fit arrangement, a latch, etc.) for mechanically retaining the fiber optic connectors within the adapter.
A prior art fiber optic connection system is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,730 to Nagasawa et al., issued May 25, 1993, that is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Prior art fiber optic connectors include fiber optic connectors that are available from US Conec Ltd. of Hickory, N.C., USA as part numbers C10821, C10822, C8190, and C10823. Fiber optic connectors related to part numbers C10821, C10822, C8190, and C10823 are known as MTP®, connectors. Other prior art fiber optic connection systems include SC type fiber optic connectors and adapters, disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,663, that is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. MTP®, connectors are described and illustrated at U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/226,449, filed Jul. 17, 2009, entitled “Fiber Optic Dust Cap and Connector for Terminating Multi-Fiber Optical Cables”, that is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Dust caps have been developed to protect an example MTP®, connector 100, and in particular a ferrule 150 of the connector 100, from contamination when disconnected. Such a dust cap is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 7,245,813 to Brown et al., issued Jul. 17, 2007, hereinafter referred to as the '813 dust cap. A commercial embodiment of the '813 dust cap is available from US Conec Ltd. of Hickory, N.C., USA as part number C7721. Another such dust cap is also available from US Conec as part number C10063. Other example dust caps are disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,053 to Zimmel et al., issued Jul. 21, 2009; U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,840 to Hsieh, issued Jan. 16, 2007; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,524 to Beatty et al., issued Mar. 30, 2004.